Infrastructure for Research Strengths

The creation of the beginnings of an integrated research
infrastructure that will build upon the firm foundation of
excellent research, the prior investments in the Strategic
Strengths, and the expected investments in additional areas of
strength; and to enable our researchers to enter into new ventures,
new collaborations, and new directions that position us to compete
and win large comprehensive research grants.

To achieve this vision of academic excellence, we propose three
key strategies to provide support to enhancing faculty
scholarship:

Establish a Research Advancement and Coordination Team (RAC)
consisting of the senior leadership of the university to ensure
that research priorities are understood and supported at the
highest level. This committee will be charged with
coordination of activities that are aimed at reducing faculty
administrative burdens and with orchestration of the pursuit of
large multidisciplinary research initiatives.

Institutionalize the Strategic Strengths as model research
groups by providing permanent funding of common identified best
practices among the Strategic Strengths; research conferences,
faculty workshops, faculty advisory committees, fellowships, and
scholars in residence.

Establish a Multi-Investigator Research Support team (MRST) to
support pursuing large multi-investigator research projects in our
research strengths (Strategic Strengths and other existing and
emerging strengths) as well as to pursue funding of projects from
non-traditional sources.

Investing in these three activities will result in additional
financial resources to the university in the way of new sponsored
research awards and philanthropy, and increased faculty scholarship
which will help to further fuel the university’s goal of
becoming an even stronger premier public research university.
The proposed research support team will be empowered by the
proposed REACT. Together, the research support team and the
REACT will act in the same capacity seen in many for-profit
institutions – as business development unit, working with
faculty leadership, that will proactively coordinate all aspects of
proposal development and submission: identifying funding
opportunities and matching with key strengths at the university;
identifying stakeholders and getting them on board; working with
prospective funding agencies (federal, state, philanthropic,
industry); working with principals to gather technical information;
developing the business proposal; developing and retaining
customizable boilerplate materials; writing, editing, and
coordinating the final copy; graphics design; marketing and
communicating the project through University Communications; and
any other aspects of business/proposal development that may be
necessary.